University of Mississippi Master of Science in Exercise Science (Online)

Ole Miss's online M.S. in Exercise Science is a science-heavy master's taught by the campus faculty. It's asynchronous, 31 credits and rolling admission, with three emphasis areas and a thesis option. Choose it for graduate physiology, biomechanics or human performance, especially before PT, OT, PA or medical school. Ask for a written price estimate before you apply, and skip it if you need a CAAHEP-accredited degree.

The University of Mississippi is a public university based in Oxford. Exercise science sits in the Department of Kinesiology and Sport in the School of Applied Sciences, and Ole Miss Online delivers this master's with the same curriculum and faculty as the on-campus version.

You apply with a bachelor's degree in a related field, a 3.0 undergraduate GPA, a statement of purpose, a resume and one letter of recommendation. Applicants under 3.0 can submit GRE scores for extra consideration. Admission is rolling, and Ole Miss asks you to apply at least three weeks before the term you want.

The 31 credits split into 13 core, 3 research, 9 in your emphasis and 6 capstone. The core is ATHT 5510 Foundations of Biomechanics at 4 credits, EXSC 6090 Motor Behavior, EXSC 6110 Exercise Physiology I and EXSC 6320 Advanced Structural Kinesiology. EXSC 6000 covers research design and statistics.

Applied Physiology draws from Cardiovascular Physiology, Exercise Physiology II, Advanced Muscle Physiology, Applied Electromyography, Stress and the Brain and Physiological Aspects of Aging. Biomechanics uses three ATHT biomechanics courses. Cardiovascular Physiology covers hemodynamics, blood pressure regulation and how the heart adapts to training.

For the 6-credit capstone you choose one route. You can do an internship, two individual study courses that produce a manuscript such as a systematic review, a thesis, or two more electives plus a comprehensive exam. The internship site and mentor are yours to find, and hours from your current job don't count.

Courses the School Names

• EXSC 6090 Motor Behavior
• EXSC 6140 Cardiovascular Physiology
• EXSC 6160 Exercise Physiology II

Standout Features

• Three emphasis areas (Applied Physiology, Biomechanics, Human Performance) available fully online
• Same curriculum and faculty as on-campus program; assistantships not available to online students

Who It Fits

• Students heading toward physical therapy, occupational therapy, physician assistant, nursing or medical school. Ole Miss names these paths on the program page, and the thesis and manuscript capstones give you research experience. Check each professional program's prerequisite list, because a master's doesn't automatically cover it.
• Working strength coaches, wellness staff and rehab-adjacent professionals. The Human Performance emphasis includes Sports Performance, Sports Psychology and Ergogenic Aids for Sport Performance, and courses are asynchronous.
• Out-of-state and military students. Ole Miss Online charges graduate courses at in-state rates whatever your residency, and it lists military and veterans awards on its cost page.

Who Should Skip It

• Anyone aiming at the ACSM clinical exercise physiologist credential. The program isn't on the CAAHEP list we pulled on September 29, 2026. See online clinical exercise physiology master's programs instead.
• Career changers without a science background. Some courses carry undergraduate prerequisites, such as EXSC 3480 and EXSC 3490 for Exercise Physiology I. The career changer list is a better start.
• Students who can't travel. If you pick the two-electives capstone, the catalog says the comprehensive exam is proctored and given in person.

Ole Miss Online charges graduate courses per credit hour at in-state rates, and out-of-state students pay the same. Most graduate courses carry three credits, so plan on about ten courses. Use the Bursar's tuition estimator and choose Graduate Professional Online Degree Program, then ask admissions for a written total that includes fees.

Assistantships aren't available to online students. You can apply for Graduate School scholarships and federal aid, and Ole Miss employees can use a tuition benefit for up to two courses a semester. Employer tuition assistance is another route, so ask your HR office before you enroll.

Courses run 16 weeks and are asynchronous, so you log in when it suits you. Full-time students can finish in about a year, and part-time enrollment is allowed. Ole Miss says you learn from faculty who research exercise physiology, biomechanics, nutrition and human performance.

Most of the degree needs no travel, but two details deserve a question. ATHT 5510 is listed as lecture and lab, so ask how the lab works online. The internship route also asks you to communicate your growth in a formal presentation to your faculty advisor and internship supervisor.

The University of Mississippi is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, a regional accreditor. The master's has no programmatic accreditation and no certification prep.

From August 15, 2027, candidates for the ACSM-EP and ACSM-CEP credentials from the American College of Sports Medicine must graduate from a CAAHEP-accredited program, or one that has started the process. The CEP master's route points at exercise physiology programs, and this degree isn't on the CAAHEP list.

The NSCA rule starting January 1, 2030 is about the bachelor's behind a CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist). Ole Miss lists exercise physiologist and strength coach among careers, but a careers list isn't a certification path.

Where this degree can lead: Exercise Science Jobs.

The full rubric is on the methodology page. A factor marked Peer Median had no published input, so it counts at half weight.

• Ole Miss's pages disagree. The campus page lists 30 credits, two years and no emphases, while the online page and 2026-27 catalog list 31 credits, one year full time and three emphases.
• The online page says 100% online, but the catalog says the two-electives capstone ends with an in-person proctored exam.
• Assistantships aren't open to online students, and no program price is posted on the pages we read.
• Some core courses carry undergraduate prerequisites, so anyone whose degree isn't in exercise science may need extra classes first.

• What's the total tuition and fees for the 31 credits at the current in-state online rate, in writing?
• If I choose the two-electives capstone, where is the in-person comprehensive exam, and can it be taken remotely?
• Which prerequisites, such as EXSC 3480, EXSC 3490 and BISC 2060, do I need before the core courses, and can I take them online?
• How does the lab work in ATHT 5510 for an online student?
• How do online students find an internship site and mentor, and what counts toward the 6 credits?
• Which term starts are available each year, and what's the cutoff for each?
• Does this degree meet the prerequisites at the PT, OT, PA or medical programs I'm targeting?

The University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) is a public university based in Oxford, Mississippi. Exercise science sits in the Department of Kinesiology and Sport within the School of Applied Sciences, and Ole Miss Online delivers the master's in exercise science with the same curriculum and faculty as the on-campus program.

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• University of Cincinnati

  Master of Science in Exercise Science

  Ohio $761 per credit Score 58.7

• University of North Dakota

  Kinesiology (M.S.)

  North Dakota $586.22 per credit Score 59.6

• The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

  Master of Science in Kinesiology with a concentration in Physical Education (Accelerated Online)

  Texas $444.44 per credit Score 59.7

• Parker University

  Master of Science in Strength and Human Performance

  Texas $871 per credit Score 58.3